Theater chair



Nev. 9, 1937.

M., W. HARD THEATER CHAIR J Filed July 24, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 M. W. HARD THEATER CHAIR Nov. 9, 1937.

Filed July 24,- 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Merrill Wjiard 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I JYVUW Merrill Wfiard M. w.. HARD THEATER CHAIR Filed July 24, 1955 Nov. 9, 1937.

- Patented Nov. 9, 1937.

UNITED STATES THEATER CHAIR Merrill W. Hard,

Application July 24,

15 Claims.

This invention relates to chairs, and more speciflcally pertains to chairs of the character employed in theaters, auditoriums and the like, where a series of rows of chairs are provided for accommodating audiences; the present invention particularly pertaining to improvements in chairs of the type set forth in Letters Patent Number 1,456,235, issued to me May 22, 1921:).

An object of the invention is to provide a chair in which the seat may be easily moved back by the occupant thereof to permit the passing of persons between rows of chairs without compelling the occupant to arise from the seat.

Another object is to provide a mounting for the chair seat and back, so constructed and arranged that when the occupant of the seat assumes the natural position preparatory to arising from the seat, the weight of the occupant together with the natural rearward thrust imparted to the seat on attempting to arise therefrom will act to effect rearward movement of the seat and thereby permit rearward movement of the seated occupant such as to provide ample space for the passage of a person between the back of a seat in front of the occupant and the knees of the seated occupant.

Another object is to provide an arrangement whereby the partition between adjacent seats will afford a support for the operative mountings of the contiguous sides of the adjacent seats and also to provide a construction in the mounting whereby a series of connected seats may be arranged in an arc.

Another object is to provide a mounting for a rearwardly movable seat and back in which the operating mechanism is disposed in a guarded fashion so as to protect occupants in the chairs from possible pinching during movement of the chair.

A further object is to provide a construction in the operating parts of the chair whereby the latter will be rendered noiseless in operation without the necessity of employing lubricants and yet wear ofrelatively movable parts be reduced to a minimum.

A further object is to provide a construction whereby movement of the seat back and forth from its normal positionwill be cushioned so as to avoid jolt or jar.

Various additional objects and features of the invention will appear and will be more fully un derstood from the following detailed description of a present preferred embodiment thereof, reference for this purpose being bad to the accom- Los A ngeles, Calif. 1935, Serial No. 32,899

Fig. 1 is a view of the chair in end elevation showing it in its-normal position and depicting the chair in its relation to adjacent chairs spaced in front and to the rear thereof:

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the chair in its operated position with the seat thereo retracted:

' Fig. 3 is a view of a chair as seen in front elevation as associated with chairs on each side thereof:

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 3 with portions broken away:

Fi 5 is a view of the chair as seen in vertical section and elevation:

Fig. 6 is a detail in horizontal section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5:

Fig. '7 is a detail in horizontal section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 5:

Fig. 8 is a view in section and elevation as seen on the line 8 8 of Fig. 5:

Fig. 9 is a detail in horizontal section as seen on the line 99 of Fig. 5:

Fig. 10 is a detail in section taken on the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 4:

In the drawings the sectional views are viewed as looking in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the section lines, and corresponding reference characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.'

Referring to the drawings more specifically l0 indicates the side pedestal of a chair; a pair of such pedestals being employed with each chair with a single pedestal serving for each of adjacent chairs arranged side by side, as in constructing a row of chairs. The pedestal Ill as here shown comprises an upstanding panel which may be of any suitable construction, being here shown as formed of castmetal. The upper end of the pedestal is fitted with'an arm-rest ll.

Projecting from adjacent faces of each of a pair of the pedestals near the lower endsand rear edges thereof are upwardly opening sockets l2, particularly shown in Fig. 7, the recesses of which are conical. A pair of standards I3 is provided for each chair, the ends of which are tapered and converge to points as indicated at It and IS; the standards being arranged with their pointed ends l4 seated in the sockets l2 with the standards extending upwardly normany at a forward inclination along-side of and in close proximity to the pedestals I 0. The upper pointed ends l5 of the standards seat in downwardly opening conical sockets l6 carried on side plates l'l rigidly affixed to and projecting forwardly from the side edges of the seat' back It as particularly shown in Figs. 5 and 9. The side plates I'I project along-side the standards III with their upper margins normally disposed below the arm rests II and proximate the under sides thereof, and with their forward edges disposed rearwardly of the front edges of the pedestals,

A chair seat I3 is pivotally carried on the; side plates'l'l by means of trunnions 20 formed on brackets 2| carried by the seat I9 adjacent the rear margin of the latter; the trunnions 20 being journalled in bearings 22 carried on the side plates I'I adjacent the lower margins of the latter. The axes'of a pair of the trunnions 20 are aligned and are disposed normally. in a plane intermediate the ends of the standards I3 in a vertical plane spaced forward of but adjacent tothe upper ends of the standards I3 which upper ends by'reason of the inclina tion of the standards are disposed in a plane for-- ward of the lower ends of the standards. The

seat I9 is free to swing vertically on the trunnions 20 and has itsrear margin disposed proxi-.

mate to the front face of the lower marginal portion of the back I8 when the seat is disposed in its substantially horizontal position; the seat being. designed to be swung upwardly to extend longitudinally adjacent the front face of the seat back to fold the chair as is common in theater chair construction.

Means are provided for limiting. downward movement of the seat whereby the latter will be disposed in its substantially horizontal position, which means is here shown as embodying a pair of upright links 23 having their lower ends pivotally connected to the lower portions of the pedestals III by pivot pins 24 arranged in a horizontal plane slightly above the lower ends of the standards I3 and in a vertical plane forward of the axes of the trunnions 20; the upper ends of the links 23 being connected by pivot pins 25 to the side plates Il' in a vertical plane forward of the axes of the trunnions 20 and in a horizontal plane intermediate the trunnions 20 and the upper ends of the standards I3.

The links 23 normally incline forwardly relative to the vertical as particularly shown in Fig. 5 when the seat is in its norma rpositiom but when the seat is retracted as will later be described the links incline rearwardly to the vertical as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Carried on the pair of links 23 of a seat is a frame 26 which rigidly connects the said links, as shown in Figure 3 and maintains them in parallel relation. Said frame includes a forwardly extending bracket 26' carrying a roller 21 the axis of which extends horizontally transversely of the seat I9, and which roller is adapted to engage a track 28 on the under side of the seat I9 extending longitudinally of the latter centrally thereof; the track 28 abutting the roller 21 when the seat I0 is in its lower position as particularly shown in Fig. 5. When thus disposed the track 28 inclines upwardly and forwardly from the roller relative to the horizontal so as to present an inclined plane to the periphery of the roller. The axis of the roller 21 is disposed in a plane below the axis of thetrunnions 20 and in a plane forwardly of the pivoted ends of the links 23 so that when the Figs. person sitting on the position, that is with the body well back on the seat is retracted to its rearward limit of movement. said roller will still be forward of dead center, as shown in Figure 2.

It will now be seen that the standards I3 and links 23 are supported for vertical swinging movement. As a means for limiting such movement stops 29 are mounted on the pedestals to project therefrom between associated standards I3 and links 23; the stops being arranged so as to form an abutment for the standards I 3-when-the latter are in their forwardly inclined position, and to form an abutment for the links 23 when the latter are inclined in their rearwardmost position? The stops 29 are designed to cushion impact of the standards and links thereagainst and for this purpose are preferably formed of rubber or other suitable resilient material.

' As a means for retaining the ends of the standards I3 in their seated positions within their associated sockets spring wires 30 are affixed to the sockets I2 and I6 and have hooked outer ends 3| which are detachably engagedwith recesses 32 formed in the standards adjacent their ends as particularly shown in Fig. 5.

As a means for preventing persons occupying chairs from extending their feet beneath the seats of chairs immediately in front of such occupied chairs, partitions 33 are disposed to extend between the pair of pedestals IU of each chair as particularly shown in Fig. 5; the partitions being erected from the floor and terminating a suitably spaced distance below the under side of the seats I9 such as not to interfere with the operation of the latter. By this arrangement occupants of chairs are prevented from extending their legs beneath the forward seat such distance as to materially interfere with the rearward swinging movement of the seat and back.

As the seat and back of a chair are moved rearward,- the lower edge of the back and the rear edge of the seat may possibly move into contact with the legs of persons occupying a chair back of a rearwardly moving seat, and accordingly means are provided for insuring against any possible injury of a person by reason of impact of a rearwardly moving. seat. This means is here shown as embodying a cushion 34 formed on the rear face and lower margin of the seat back I8, and 'a cushion 35. formed on the rear edge of the seat I9 as particularly shown in Fig. 10; the cushions 34 and 35 being padded in a suitable manner so that in event that if brought into contact with persons rearward 0f a seat, no injury to the person willoccu'r.

In the application of the invention the seats I3 with their associated backs I8 are mounted and arranged between a pair of spaced pedestals II), as before described, ordinarily with a series of the chairs thus formed arranged side by side in either a straight row or a row disposed in the arc of a circle, in the fashion commonly employed in seating arrangements in theaters, auditoriums, and the like; a series of such rows being usually provided with adjacent rows spaced such distance apart as to afford adequateroom for persons occupying the seats, but which distance is ordinarily insuflicient to permit the easy passage of persons between the occupants of the.

seats and the backs of. the chairs in front thereof.

In the operation of the invention the shown in and when occupied by a are normally disposed as 1 and 5,

seats seat in a normal seat, with the back resting against the seat back l8, and with the lowerilimbs below the knees disposed in an upright or forwardly extended position. The weight .of the'person will then act to maintain the seat in its forwardmost, position byreason of the forward inclination of the standards I3 and also the weight of the pervconnection with the sockets son imposed on the seat I! bearing on the roller 2! tending to maintain the links 23 .in their forwardly inclined position. The cushion abutment as will then act to limit the forward inclination of the standards l3, and also the forward When the occupant of the seat leans forwardly and moves the feet rearwardly as in assuming a position preparatory to arising from the seat, a slight rearward thrust is imposed on the seat such'as to move the latter rearwardly and thereby shift the side plates I1 rearwardly and thus cause the links 23 to swing rearwardly past a vertical position whereupon the weight of the occupant, then being imposed in most part in the forward part of the seat, causes the inclined track 28 to ride downwardly on the roller 21 thereby exerting aretractive thrust on the seat and thereby assisting in effecting retrograde movement of. the seat l9 and causing the links 23 to swing to their rearward inclined position; the upper ends of the links then co-operating withthe rearward movement of the seat to further swing the side plates H on their pivotal I8. movement the standards l3 will be rocked rearwardly on their pivotal connections with the sockets l2 towards but somewhat short of vertical position as shown in Fig. 2, in which position ordinarily done to permit persons to pass in front of the occupant without tripping over the latters feet, thus moving" the occu'pants knees rear wardly thereby increasing thespace between the occupant and the chair in front.

On the occupant again assuming a normal position by advancing the feet and leaning back the seat will move forwardly and the parts will be restored to their normal position.

- Byproviding the pointed pivotal mountings for both ends of the standards l3 and forming the stop 29 to have a cushioning action, the movements of the seat will be silent and by arranging the rollers 21 to engage the under side of the seat I9 at the center thereof any possible pinching or injury of the occupant of the seat during movement thereof will be obviated.

The pointed pivotal mountings for the standards l3, providing as they do for universal pivotal movement of said standards as to the pedestals at the bottom and as to the side plates at the top,

In this case the pedestals are disposed at an angle .to each other, as shown in Figure 4 and the said pivotal'mountings permit such arrangementof the pedestals when installing the chairs, without interfering with the free pivotal movement of said standards, whatever said angle maybe.

During this It is to be noted froman examination of Figures 1 and 2, that the front end of the seat moves in a substantially horizontal plane when going from its normal position, as shown in Figure 1, to its fully retracted position, as shown in Figure 2. This prevents any tendency to lift the feet of the occupant off the floor and interfere with the pressure required to push the seat backward. It will also be noted that the top of the chair back, when the seat is in the retracted position, does not encroach upon the space occupied by those in the proximate back row.

It is important in designing the chair, that' the standards It, when the seat is retracted. should never pass through the vertical position, but should be arrested Just short oi that position. If they should pass back of that position, when the seat is retracted, it is obvious that the seat would be locked in its retracted position. With the links 23 designed as shown, to pass through but a short are at either side of dead center position and the standards l-3 arrested short of vertical position when the seat is retracted, and with the seat supporting roller 21 never back of a dead center, the seat may be restored to normal position by the occupant simply relaxing and assuming his normal position, the parts moving with a smooth easy movement in their return to normal position without jar,

' ally mounted thereon at 'their lower ends, a chair back having side plates pivotally supported on said standards, a seat pivotally connected to said side plates, a pair of upwardly extending links pivoted at their lower ends to said pedestals and pivotally connected at their upper ends to said side plates, a bracket carried by said pair of links projecting forwardly therefrom, a roller carried on the outer end of said bracket bearing onthe under side of said seat.

2. A chair comprising a pair of pedestals, a

links pivoted at their lower ends to said pedestals pivotally mounted thereon at their lower ends, a chair back having side plates pivotally supported on said standards, a seat pivotally connected to said side plates, a pair of upwardly extending links pivoted at their lower ends to said pedestals and pivotally connected at their upper ends to said side plates, a bracket carried by said pair of links projecting forwardly therefrom, a roller carried on the outer end of said bracket and bear-u ing on the underside of said seat, the underside of said seat leading upwardly and forwardly relative to said roller.

3. A chair comprising a pair of pedestals, a pair of standards associated with said pedestals pivotally mounted thereon attheir lower ends, a chair back having side plates pivotally supported on said standards, a seat pivotally connected to said side plates, a pair of upwardly extending links pivoted at their lower ends to said pedestals and pivotally connected at their upper ends to said side plates, a bracket carried by said pair of links projecting forwardly therefrom, a roller carried on the outer end of said bracket, a. track on the underside of said seat bearing on said roller, and means on said pedestals for limitingvertical swinging of said standards and links.

4. A chair comprising a pair of pedestals, a pair of standards associated with said pedestals pivotally mounted thereon at their lower ends, a seat back having side plates pivotally supported on said standards, a seat pivotally connected to 7 5 of links projecting forwardly therefrom, a roller carried on the outer end of said bracket, a track on the underside of said seat bearing on said roller, and cushion abutments carried by said pedestals projecting between said standards and links, said abutments arranged to limit forward rocking movement of said standards and rearward rocking movement of said links.

5. A chair comprising side pedestals, standards pivotally mounted at their lower extremities on the pedestals, a seat, means for pivotally suspending said seat at its rear portion from said standards, upstanding links pivoted at their lower ends on said pedestals and at their-upper ends to said seat suspending means, means carried by said links supporting the forward portion of said seat, and means for limiting swinging movement of said standards and links relative to said pedestals.

6. In a chair, side pedestals, standards pivotally mounted at their lower ends on the pedestals, side plates pivotally connected to the upper ends of said standards, a seat pivotally c snnected at the rear portion thereof to said side plates, upwardly extending links pivotedat their lower ends on said pedestals and at their upper ends on said side plates, a roller carried by said links, and a track carried on said seat seating on said roller.

7. In a chair, a pair of spaced pedestals, upstanding standards pivoted at their lower ends on said pedestals, plates pivoted on the upper ends of said standards, a back carried by said side plates, v,aseat pivotally connectedaat its rean'portion to saidside plates in a horizontalplane below and in a vertical plane normally forward of the pivotal connection between said side plates and standards, a, pair of links pivoted at their lower ends on said pedestals forwardly of the pivotal connection of theseat and side plates and in a horizontal plane below said connection, the upper ends of said links being pivotally connected to said side plates in a horizontal plane intermediate the connections between said side plates and standards and the pivotal connections of the seat and in a vertical plane forward of the latter,

means on said links supporting the forward portion of said seat, said standards and links normally inclining forwardly relative to the vertical, cushion means for limiting forward movement of 'said standards, said links being adapted to swing rearwardly to an inclined position past the ivertical, and means for limiting rearward movement of said links.

8. In a seat, a. pair of upstanding standards, a

, pair of upstanding links spaced forwardly from said standards, said standards and links being adapted to be pivoted at their lower ends for swinging movement in an approximately vertical plane, a pair of side platesto which the upper 'ends of said standards and links are pivotally connected, a seat pivotally connected at its rear portion to said side plates, and means on said links for slidably supporting said seat.

9. In a seat, a pair of upstanding standards, a pair of upstanding links spaced forwardly from said standards, said standards, and links being pivoted at their lower ends for swinging movement on a pair of pedestals, a pair of side'plates to which the upper ends of said standards and links are pivotally connected, a seat pivotally connected at its rearportion to said side plates, said standards and links normally inclined formeans whereby a load on the forward portion of said seat exerts a retractive thrust on said seat.

10. A chair comprisingla pair of pedestals, a pair of upright standards pivotally mounted at their lower ends on said pedestals, side members pivotally supported on the upper ends of said standards, a seat pivotally connected to said side members, a pair of upright links forward of said standards pivotally connected at their lower ends to said pedestals and at their upp r .ends to said side members, and means carried by said links for movably supporting said seat forward of said links.

11. A chair comprising a pair of pedestals, a pair of upright standards mounted for universal pivotal movement at their lower ends on said pedestals, side members mounted for universal pivotal movement on the upper ends of said standards, a seat pivotally connected to said side members, a pair of upright links forward of said standards pivotally connected at their lower ends to said pedestals and at their upper ends to said side plates, and means including a rigid frame connecting said links in parallel relation for movably supporting said seat forward of said links.

12. A chair comprising a pair of pedestals, a

' pair of upright standards pivotally mounted at their lower ends on said pedestals, sidemembers pivotally supported on the upper ends of'said standards, a seat pivotally connected to said side .-:members;-a*-pa ir "ofmpright'links forward of said standards pivotally connected at their lower ends to said pedestals and at their upper ends to said side members, means carried by said links for movably supporting said seat forward of said links, the pivotal points of said standards and links being so located that in the normal position of said seat they are inclined forwardly of dead center, and means for arresting the rearward movement of said seat before said standards have passed a dead center toward the rear.

13. A chair comprising a pair of pedestals, a

pair of upright standards pivotally mounted at their lower ends on said pedestals, side members pivotallysupported 0n the upper ends of said standards, a seat pivotally connected to said side members, a pair of upright links forward of said standards pivotally connected at their lower ends ward movement of said seat before said standards have passed a dead center towards the rear, and the pivotal points of said links being so lo cated that they will pass beyond dead center at the rearward limit of their movement.

14. A chair comprising a pair of pedestals, a pair of upright standards mounted for universal pivotal movement at their lower ends on said pedestals, side members mounted for universal pivotal movement on the upper ends of said standards, a seat pivotally connected to said side members, a pair of upright links forward of said standards pivotally connected at their lower ends to said pedestals and at their upper. ends to said side members, means carried by said links for pedestals, side members mounted for universal pivotal movement on the upper ends of said standards, a seat pivotally connected to said side members, a pair of upright links forward of said 15 standards pivotally connected at their lower ends to. said pedestals and at theirupper ends to said 7 side members, means including av rigid frame connecting said links in parallel relation for movably supporting said seat forward of said links, the pivotal points of said standards and links being so located that in the normal position of said seat they are inclined forwardly of dead center, and means for arresting the rearward movement of said seat before said standards have passed a dead center toward the rear, and the 1 pivotal points of said links being so located that they will pass beyond dead center at the rearward limit of their movement.

NEERRILL W. HARD. 15

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION,

15mm; No. 2,098 625.-

November 9, 1957.

MERRILL w. HARD.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correctiona'sfollowsi Page 5, second column, line hip, claim 2, strike out the words "links pivoted at their lower ends to" and insert instead pair of standards associated with; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record o f the case in the Patent Office.

Signed" and sealed this 15th day of June, A. D. 19 9.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdale Acting Commissioner of Patents.

pedestals, side members mounted for universal pivotal movement on the upper ends of said standards, a seat pivotally connected to said side members, a pair of upright links forward of said 15 standards pivotally connected at their lower ends to. said pedestals and at theirupper ends to said 7 side members, means including av rigid frame connecting said links in parallel relation for movably supporting said seat forward of said links, the pivotal points of said standards and links being so located that in the normal position of said seat they are inclined forwardly of dead center, and means for arresting the rearward movement of said seat before said standards have passed a dead center toward the rear, and the 1 pivotal points of said links being so located that they will pass beyond dead center at the rearward limit of their movement.

NEERRILL W. HARD. 15

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION,

15mm; No. 2,098 625.-

November 9, 1957.

MERRILL w. HARD.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correctiona'sfollowsi Page 5, second column, line hip, claim 2, strike out the words "links pivoted at their lower ends to" and insert instead pair of standards associated with; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record o f the case in the Patent Office.

Signed" and sealed this 15th day of June, A. D. 19 9.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdale Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

